Abstract

The study aimed to determine pathological conditions across two seasons, leading to condemnations of beef edible red offals in Kgatleng District, Botswana. Offals are valued in communities of Botswana. Data from slaughter facilities was evaluated for dry/winter and wet/summer seasons. Financial losses were also determined. 7405 cattle were processed in the two seasons, with 4005 cattle slaughtered in the dry season and 3400 in the wet season. Of the slaughtered cattle, 55.2% (2209) of the dry season and 45% (1531) of the wet seasonhad some forms of pathological conditions that led to condemnations of the offals. Lungs were highly condemned at 26.2% in the wet season and 32.7% during the dry season, followed by livers at 16.2 and 18.4% in the wet and dry seasons, respectively. Emphysema led to a condemnation rate of lungs at 20% and 17% for the dry and wet seasons, respectively. The least condemned offals were the spleen at 2.3% (wet season) and 2.1% (dry season), followed by the kidneys at 0.3% (wet season) and 2% (dry season). Financially, the dry season losses were relatively higher at BWP62 950.55 compared to the wet season at BWP43 863.95. Management strategies should be put in place to avail offals to consumers.

Key words: Beef, edible red offals, pathological conditions, wet and dry seasons.